Fella Flamberg
Fella Flamberg poses with a friend in Brussels,
Belgium shortly before going into hiding. Soon after Kristallnacht,
Fella's father left Germany for Cuba with the understanding that the
rest of the family would follow shortly. Fella (now Faye Ben-Saull)
and her mother Brandla set sail for Cuba on the SS St. Louis on May
13, 1939. When the ship was forced to return to Europe, the Flambergs
were given refuge in France. They moved to Brussels, which soon fell
under German occupation. When the danger of arrest and deportation
became imminent, Fella was placed in hiding. She lived in several
convents, including St. Joseph and St. Vincent in Sugny. Her mother
survived the war on false papers. After the liberation, she learned
that Maier was living in the United States and had become a citizen
after having served in the American army. The American Red Cross
contacted him on her behalf, and in 1946 Brandla and Fella joined him
in the United States. (USHMM, courtesy of Faye Flamberg Ben-Saull)